The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
Parallel translations
- WEB The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.
- KJV And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
- NKJV So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear,
- NASB And the men said to her, “We shall be exempt from this oath to you which you have made us swear,
- NLT Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The spies clarify that they will be released from their oath unless Rahab follows their conditions. The promise of rescue carries specific obligations.
Overview
The men set out the terms under which their oath remains binding, showing that the covenant of deliverance involves Rahab's faithful response. This is not arbitrary but ensures the promise is kept in good order. The conditional structure underscores that saving faith is shown in obedient compliance with the appointed means of rescue.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Num 30:2If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.
- 2 Sam 21:7Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
- Gen 24:3–8and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
- 2 Sam 21:1–2During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
- Lev 19:11–12You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.
- Josh 2:20And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
- Exod 20:7You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 2:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.